


Just the Facts Ma'am

by Codexfawkes



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Awkwardness, Darcy also feels awkward, Gen, Steve Rogers Feels, Steve is an awkward bunny
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-03
Updated: 2017-01-03
Packaged: 2018-09-14 09:18:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9173209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Codexfawkes/pseuds/Codexfawkes
Summary: Darcy didn’t really know what to say to all that, it was a lot of surprising information in a short period of time and she was a bit shell shocked.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I own nothing. Any characters used from the Marvel universe and any quotes from anywhere are not mine. Joss is Boss.

There were certain inalienable facts about living in Avengers Tower that everyone just knew. Everyone knew that Thor always forgets to add any food he finishes to the grocery list. Everyone knew nothing would ever break Clint of his habit of drinking directly from the coffee pot. Everyone knew that Tony would never stop finding his Capsicle joke funny. And everyone knew without a shadow of a doubt that Steve hated Darcy.

From the moment they met he’d been stiff and cold, finding her objectionable on pretty much every level. She was too loud, too brash, too in your face, too involved, too everything. Steve avoided her, and when he couldn’t he was unflinchingly polite. Nothing more, nothing less. Sam had once commented that they should call **him** Darcy, and when his star spangled friend didn’t understand the joke told him to “read a damn book Rogers,” before huffing away.

Everyone knew how Steve felt, he made it incredibly obvious. Darcy knew it and attempted to restrain herself around him, to dial herself back so as not to make him uncomfortable. Yet the more she tried to be understanding of his reaction to her, despite how much it hurt, the worse he treated her. Stiff politeness gave way to mocking and disdain, shattering every good opinion she’d ever had of Steve Rogers until very little remained.

Oh sure, she still appreciated and respected the work he did as Captain America, but came to truly dislike him as a person. Something she honestly felt was a shame because Darcy adored Sam and Bucky, and loved spending time with them. But it was difficult when Steve rarely let Bucky out of his sight and was almost as attached to Sam. Thor tried to tell her it was because the Captain was actually captivated by her. That he found her extremely attractive and appealing but felt he was unworthy of the type of happiness she represented. Darcy respected Thor’s opinion, but maintained it was highly unlikely and didn’t excuse his behavior even if it **_was_** true.

 

Six months after Jane and Darcy had moved into the Tower in the wake of Thanos and the universe almost being overrun by a giant purple megalomaniac, Darcy found herself in a place of contentment in her life. She had a wonderful, well-paying lab manager job with SI, amazing friends, and one sassy Irish brogue'd AI that she took great delight in teaching things. One particular afternoon Darcy was working in Tony’s shop keeping an eye on him and Bruce as they played with Friday’s coding. She refused to risk another Ultron fiasco, even if they didn’t have the scepter anymore. Darcy was working on some paperwork when Steve walked in and made a bee-line for her. 

“Miss Lewis, may I speak with you in private?” Steve asked her stiffly.

Darcy looked up at him in surprise, quickly taking in the stiff line of his shoulders and borderline constipated look on his face. Bucky had recently been threatening to “make the punk straighten up and fly fucking right doll,” and she had a sinking feeling that she was about to endure a forced, and uncomfortably insincere apology. 

“Of course Captain,” she agreed softly, locking her tablet and leading Steve out of the lab. She led him across the hall to her office and took a seat behind her desk in the ridiculously comfortable chair Tony had ordered for her. If she was going to sit through this she damn well was going to be physically comfortable. Steve followed her into the office and closed the door before sitting in one of the visitors chairs across from her. 

“Miss Lewis,” he started before frowning slightly “may I call you Darcy?” he asked. 

“Of course,” she agreed readily.

“Good, Darcy…there’s something I need to tell you. It’s…it’s not bad or anything. It’s more that, I’ve been a bit of an idiot and an ass when it comes to you. See, there’s lots of things I’m good at. Emotions and talking to women I’m attracted too isn’t one of them,” Steve related in a rush. 

Darcy felt surprise ripple through her as her brain dimly reminded her that Thor had been right. Even so she didn’t dare interrupt as he barreled on. 

“See back in the day, there was only two things I really  wanted. To make a difference, and to have a family. I figured the best happy ending I could have was to get married. Hopefully have a couple of kids, be healthy enough to support them comfortably; and to pal around with Bucky the rest of my life. Then everything that happened…happened and somehow I ended up just about as far from that as I could of gotten. Then you came along and it was like seeing the ghost of a shattered dream. You, Darcy you’re beautiful, smart, charming, quirky, sassy, funny, talented. Truth be told, Darcy I wanted you from the moment I saw you,” Steve confessed. “But I couldn’t help thinking that it would be selfish to ask you to take on all my issues, so I tried to distance myself. I tried to stay away from you, but the harder I tried the nicer you are to me. I just can’t keep going like this. I need you to know that I’m sorry, I never meant to be such a colossal ass to you,” Steve apologized sincerely. 

Darcy didn’t really know what to say to all that, it was a lot of surprising information in a short period of time and she was a bit shell shocked. 

“I accept your apology,” Darcy managed to say, watching relief spread over his features.

“Thank you Darcy, I promise you won’t regret giving me another chance to be your friend. Maybe even more than your friend?” Steve asked with a shy smile. Darcy sucked in a breath and let it out slowly, trying not to let her dismay show on her face. She really didn’t want to hurt him. 

“I’d love for us to become friends, but I’m sorry Steve friends is all I can offer you,” Darcy told him gently. 

“No, I get that, I mean I’ve been a jerk. I’m not expecting you to fall into my arms or anything, I’m just asking for you to keep the possibility of more open,” Steve assured her.

“I just don’t think of you that way,” Darcy told him.

“Not now, but…” Steve tried again.

“Steve, I don’t want to hurt you but I don’t think we’d be a good fit,” Darcy let him know.

“Can I ask why?” he queried trying to maintain a neutral expression.

“We’re just too different. The way we think, the way we approach things is well, the opposite of each other. When I was in college there was this guy, from the moment I met him I knew that he was everything I’d ever fantasized about. I also knew that I wasn’t in the right place to be with him the way I wanted. I also couldn’t avoid him because we had classes together and he lived in my dorm just a floor above me. It was hard to be around him, because I wanted to kiss his face off, but I knew it was a bad idea. Every time I was near him, every time I talked to him my heart ached. But you know what Steve, he never knew. I kept my distance the best I could and still treated him like everyone else. Later, when I was in a better place, I let myself try for more, and you know what happened?” Darcy asked.

“He fell into your arms because you weren’t an asshole?” Steve guessed tightly.

“No, he turned me down. But he stayed my friend, and I realized that I had been so busy thinking of him as my fantasy come to life that I wasn’t looking at the real him. I wasn’t looking at him as a person, rather the personification of a dream. Steve, the life you wanted, seem to still want, that’s not me. I’m not Sally Homemaker darning your socks and raising kids. I don’t even know if I want kids. I can’t be your fantasy, I don’t want to be. I’m my own person, actual and whole. I can’t be what you want,” Darcy explained as nicely as she could manage.

Steve sat there unsure of how to respond, what to do in the face of her declaration. Was that what he was actually doing? Had he been looking at her with blinders on? He’d been sure she was the type to want marriage and a family and now she was saying she didn’t necessarily want children. How had he managed to get her and everything between them so wrong?

Darcy watched as Steve seemed to collapse in on himself, a dejected frown settling on his face. Damn it, she hadn’t wanted to hurt him.

“I hope that you still want to be friends,  but if you need me to stay away from you for a while I understand,” Darcy offered.

“No, no, I’m…friends is good,” Steve told her forcing a small smile and standing up. “I’ll see you around Darcy,” he said before leaving her in the office.

Darcy flopped back in her seat suppressing a groan. That could have been way worse, but it was still pretty bad. After a few minutes Darcy forced herself to shake off her worry and sadness at having to burst Steve’s bubble and head back to Tony’s lab. Her scientists needed her, and so did her AI friend who they needed to not turn into a murder bot. Shoving Steve firmly from her mind Darcy went back to work.

**Author's Note:**

> So there's a trope where an emotionally constipated guy/girl treats their crush like crap because they feel unworthy, only to have that person against all odds return their feelings. While I've enjoyed this trope plenty of times, I also wondered what the flip side would look like if the crush didn't return their feelings. And a story was born. :)


End file.
